


In The Shadow Of The Griffin Wings

by Nydocadmi



Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe, Depression, Developing Relationship, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/M, Hardened Alistair, Minor Character Death, My First Fanfic, Strangers to Lovers, noncannon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 07:59:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16091387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nydocadmi/pseuds/Nydocadmi
Summary: Arasula Tabris got married and moved to Highever with her new husband. But will fate keep her there?Watch as Arasula escapes her new life to follow the wardens. She doesn't expect to be the last warden fighting under a banner she hardly knows and an ex-templer and a witch of the wilds at her side. She alone will discover that she can set her own destiny.





	In The Shadow Of The Griffin Wings

The Day Of The Wedding

Arasula stood in front of the oval mirror, the giant bronze frame taking up half of the space it occupied brought in by her cousin for her wedding day. Her father excitedly pulled out her mother’s wedding gown as a gift, but she knew that all her father’s coin went to her dowry; this was as good as a dress they could find in her poor Alienage. Arasula scoffed as she looked in the mirror the dress too big for her lean frame. Her tawny skin seemed to pop out against the white and gold gown. Nervously she fidgeted with the sleeve of her gown. Shianni was at her heels pulling and sewing the old dress to her liking. Shianni was not much of a seamstress as she stabbed at Arasula ankles.

“Hold still cousin!” Shianni said around a mouthful of pins. The bride gave a heavy sigh as Shianni moved to her waist. Fear seized her as she realized she was going to adjust the top. “Shianni,” Arasula said as she tried to wave her cousin away. “It won’t matter I’m only wearing it for one day!” Her cousin cocky as ever raised one red eyebrow, “So eager are we cousin?” The smile was playing on her lips. Arasula felt a blush rising to her cheeks, rubbing her hands over her face to keep it at bay. “That’s not what I meant! And you know it” She all but stammered out. Shianni laughed at her cousin; in the mirror, Arasula saw them together with her wildfire hair a shade darker than Shianni’s red hair. Arasula was thin whereas Shianni was curved her bridesmaid dress tightening around her hips making the perfect hourglass shape. Still, it didn’t stop the city guards from harassing her cousin when something went wrong because trouble followed Arasula whenever she went.

Shianni started to hum an old lullaby, Arasula recognized the dalish tune as the one her mother used to sing to her. Tears threaten to spill from her eyes as she stared back at her reflection. “Daughter” She heard her father’s voice behind her, she twitched her ears back to hear him. Her father stepped into the already crowded room, and he stopped to look at his daughter in his late wife’s gown. With his arms spread wide he gestured at his daughter “You look just like your mother on our wedding day,” he said with a big smile. Arasula smoothed down the invisible wrinkles on her dress in response. “Yes, but she wanted to marry you, Father.” Arasula fretted. Her father gave a heavy sigh, “I know this is all sudden daughter, but it’s for the best, you’ll go to Highever and I’ll- “I don’t want to go to Highever!” Arasula bawled out. She stopped her foot as a tear finally made it way down her cheek, glaring at her father’s blurred figure in the mirror. Cyrion flinched at her sudden outburst. Shianni took a step back from her raging cousin.

Arasula turned around to meet her father’s watery blue eyes. “I don’t want to go to Highever,” She repeated with a broken voice. Cyrion looked at the ground and sniffed. Shianni even with her big mouth knew when to shut up in moments like these. She started to gather her things towards the front door, and nothing was said when the front door clicked shut. Cyrion spoke first “Adaia was a stubborn woman.” He screwed his eyes shut not wanting to speak ill of his late wife. “I was angry too, and when I saw her for the first time, we didn’t get along.” Arasula looked at her father in confusion she always remembered her father loving her mother greatly. Cyrion continued his story, patting the bed for her to sit down. Her father took her tanned hand, “Then you came along” He patted her hand reassuring. “Then it got better.” Arasula started crying, tears spilling down her cheeks. She fell in her father’s embrace hugging his neck. “Oh, I miss her!” She sobbed. “I know,” Cyrion said as he patted her back. Her father parted from their hug and laying both hands on top of her narrow shoulders he took a good hard look at his crying daughter face. “Hey, Let’s try not to look so glum!” He tried to say cheerfully, “Nelaros is quite handsome as I’m told.” Arasula raised her head at that thinking carefully. “Good coin can only get you the most attractive men” Her father teased. “Father!” Arasula gasped then she let out a chuckle. “There is my golden girl,” Father said using the old nickname her mother would use for her. Her Father wiped the last of the tears she has sure ruined her makeup.

“I have something for you, my dear.” Cyrion tore away from his daughter, excitingly he walked over to his bed and dove into it. Arasula became surprised at the number of boxes that could fit under his twin sized bed as he pushed him out in haste. “I have it right here,” Father said from under his bed it made her giggle remembering when she would play hide and seek with her father. “Here!” Her father exclaimed loudly shaking Arasula out of her memory, triumphantly he held out the box to her while sitting on the floor. Curious she kneeled taking the dusty box from her father’s hands. The box was a worn green. She could smell the earth when she opened the box. The lid fell to the floor with a soft thud; Father chuckled as she gasped at what lay on a bed of feathers. “These were Mother’s!” Arasula said as she ghosted her finger over the hem of the boots, decorated with Hallas and vines. She felt the magic tickle her fingers when she moved her finger down the rest of the boot. Shocked she looks at her father in surprise. “She was wearing these when she was killed, father. Father’s face crumpled from the sad smile he always seemed to wear. “They sent these back with other things” Her father explained. Cyrion stood up taking his daughter’s hand to stand her up as well, her father then sat down at the edge of the bed motioning for the boots still in Arasula’s hand. “I kept these,” Her father started as he opened up the boot for Arasula to put her foot in. “Thinking Adaia would want her golden girl to have them,” He said as he put the second boot on her foot. “Was I wrong?” Her father looked at her with that sad smile again. She shook her head back and forth through blurred vision; The boots were a bit of a snug fit, fresh on the inside. Magic, she felt dancing on her fingers when she first touched them were urging her to go leaping from the Alienage rooftops. She grinned at the energy radiating through her maybe the boots thought she was her mother. Her mother was in her after all. Arasula stood and kissed her father’s cheek no words needed to be spoken now. She had made up her mind already about the wedding. Her father wore that sad smile again as he led her the to the front door, with a shuddering breath she stepped out into the night chill into the waiting arms of her shackles. She couldn’t do it she couldn’t stay here. The trip to Highever took two days, two days of sitting in a tight carriage with her new family. Nelaros sat to close for comfort attempting intimate gestures. Arasula had kept her hands tightly clasped together as she watched the scenery go by, a clan of Dalish elves had crossed paths with their carriage a jolt went up her feet as her mother’s boots had just recognized an old friend. But she didn’t fling open the door and ran she nodded silently to the awkward small talk. Arasula didn’t realize she had to consummate her new marriage once she arrived at her new home. She banged her head against the door frame trying to think. A knock close to her ear made her jump, it was Nelaros. “Wife” he paused expecting an answer. He sighed when she didn’t answer. “Are you coming out?” he asked irritated at his wife’s childish behavior. She didn’t know what to say to him through the door. “ _Sorry I don’t want to lay with you because I don’t love you_?” She imagined that conversation going well she wouldn’t have to look at his broken face through the door. She bit her tongue as she searched for the lock, It slid in place with a loud click. Nelaros must’ve heard the lock click as he patted the door softly, pressing her ear against the door she heard silence. Arasula slid down the door with her head in her hands she remembered a promise to her father to be a good girl. Wiping angry tears from her eyes, she grabbed a handful of her hair and let out a silent scream. She couldn’t go through with this “Suck it up!” A voice whispered harshly in her head. She straightened her posture at her no-nonsense voice. “You are right” she muttered to herself. Groaning she stood herself up unlocking the wooden door, her hand on the brass doorknob opening it slowly to reveal her sleeping husband in an armchair not far from the door. Her heart swelled up as she realized she was mean to a kind man. Arasula walked over to her husband unsure of how to fix her already failing marriage. Without thinking she fell to her knees letting her head fall into his lap. Nelaros was jolted awake by her sudden movement. Cautiously he placed his hand on her back comforting his new bride.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read my first chapter please leave a comment and a kudos if you enjoyed it. More is coming I just wanted to put this out there to test the water. :) I enjoy feedback and open to suggestions!  
> Also, I can't figure out how to post fan art into my work so here's a link to go see her on her wedding day  
> http://fav.me/dcq7e6w


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